1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to total air temperature (TAT) probes or sensors. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to heated TAT probes.
2. Description of Related Art
Modem jet powered aircraft require very accurate measurement of outside air temperature (OAT) for inputs to the air data computer, engine thrust management computer, and other airborne systems. For these aircraft types, their associated flight conditions, and the use of total air temperature probes in general, air temperature is better defined by the following four temperatures: (1) Static air temperature (SAT) or (TS), (2) total air temperature (TAT) or (Tt), (3) recovery temperature (Tr), and (4) measured temperature (Tm). Static air temperature (SAT) or (TS) is the temperature of the undisturbed air through which the aircraft is about to fly. Total air temperature (TAT) or (Tt) is the maximum air temperature that can be attained by 100% conversion of the kinetic energy of the flight. The measurement of TAT is derived from the recovery temperature (Tr), which is the adiabatic value of local air temperature on each portion of the aircraft surface due to incomplete recovery of the kinetic energy. Recovery temperature (Tr) is obtained from the measured temperature (Tm), which is the actual temperature as measured, and which differs from recovery temperature because of heat transfer effects due to imposed environments.
Conventional TAT probes, although often remarkably efficient as TAT sensors, sometimes face the difficulty of working in icing conditions. During flight in icing conditions, water droplets, and/or ice crystals, are ingested into the TAT probe where, under moderate to severe conditions, they can accrete around the opening of the internal sensing element. An ice ridge can grow and eventually break free—clogging the sensor temporarily and causing an error in the TAT reading. To address this problem, conventional TAT probes have incorporated an elbow, or bend, to inertially separate these particles from the airflow before they reach the sensing element.
Another phenomenon which presents difficulties to some conventional TAT probe designs has to do with the problem of boundary layer separation, or “spillage,” at low mass flows. Flow separation creates two problems for the accurate measurement of TAT. The first has to do with turbulence and the creation of irrecoverable losses that reduce the measured value of TAT. The second is tied to the necessity of having to heat the probe in order to prevent ice formation during icing conditions. Anti-icing performance is facilitated by heater elements embedded in the housing walls. Unfortunately, external heating also heats the internal boundary layers of air which, if not properly controlled, provides an extraneous heat source in the measurement of TAT. This type of error, commonly referred to as deicing heater error (DHE), is difficult to correct for. Commonly, in TAT probes, the inertial flow separation bend described above has vent or bleed holes distributed along its inner surface. The holes are vented, through a bleed port air exit, to a pressure equal to roughly that of the static atmospheric pressure outside of the TAT probe. In this manner, a favorable pressure difference is created which removes a portion of the boundary layer through the bleed holes, and pins the remaining boundary layer against the elbow's inner wall.
In certain situations, the differential pressure across the bleed holes can drop to zero due to the higher flow velocity along the elbow's inner radius. This stagnation of flow through the bleed holes creates a loss in boundary layer control. The resulting perturbation, if large enough, can cause the boundary layer to separate from the inner surface and make contact with the sensing element. Because the housing walls are heated, so is the boundary layer. Hence, any contamination of the main airflow by the heated boundary layer will result in a corresponding error in the TAT measurement. In general, it is difficult to prevent the stagnation of some of the bleed holes. Thus, DHE is difficult to prevent or reduce.
Some solutions for these challenges have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,357,572, U.S. Pat. No. 8,104,955, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,477, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is an ever present need in the art for improved DHE performance. There also remains a need in the art for such a systems and methods that are easy to make and use. The present disclosure provides a solution for these problems.